Steve Heiting's Northwoods Musky Report

With a cold front blowing into the northwoods, the muskies stopped chasing bucktails for a couple days and demanded stop-and-go baits. Steve reports on the University of Esox Musky School held last weekend and talks about what worked for the anglers in the school who boated a true bruiser of a musky.

Bucktails have been producing muskies for Steve’s boat, and he reports which ones have been working for him as well as the best retrieve style. In addition, he says goodbye to a legendary northwoods guide.

The muskies were biting on Wisconsin's northern zone musky opener and Steve and his friends boated a bunch — precisely how he predicted they would in his report last week. In this episode, Steve reveals everything that worked.

In this week's episode, Steve discusses and explains his lake choice, preferred locations, and the lures he will fish during the northern Wisconsin musky opener.

Forward facing sonar, also known as live sonar, is a hot-button topic in the musky fishing world. In this episode, Steve reports on the debate, how the issue led to the end of one longtime musky fundraiser tournament, and how the organizers of other tournaments have reacted.

Steve and his friend struggled to find walleyes on Opening Day but then put together a pattern that allowed them to catch their limit. Steve explains what worked for them, and discusses a completely different pattern that worked for Rhinelander guide Andy Hendrickson. Following that, Steve discusses two different patterns that produced crappies.

In his first fishing report for the 2025 season, Steve provides updates on local conditions and then explains how he and northwoods guide Rob Manthei plan to fish on Opening Day.

Steve begins with a live report after a client catches four northwoods muskies in a single day. Then he reports on the Hodag Musky Challenge and welcomes wounded vets to the Wounded Warriors In Action Eagle River Musky Challunge.

Summer doesn’t seem to want to quit in the Northwoods. Muskies are where they should be, but they aren’t very aggressive. Steve reveals the lures that produced fish during the last week, and offers his thoughts on pitch-back baits, one of which produced a big musky for his boat last week.

Steve can’t hide the fact he thinks the pre-turnover period is the best of the year for musky fishing. In this week’s report, he quickly covers location and then reveals his favorite baits for catching muskies at this time, and why.

Many northwoods lakes contain a heavy algae bloom right now and Steve discusses how you can overcome it. He talks about how you can help muskies find your lures in the green water, as well as where you should fish. Steve wraps up this segment by reporting on the catch of his biggest musky of the year so far, and how practicing what he preaches paid off.

Cool nights, warm days, bright skies and little wind are typical for what many call the “dog days” of August. In this week’s Northwoods Musky Report, Steve reveals his game plan for such conditions and tells the story of how he and a client succeeded while following these tactics.

In this week’s segment, Steve reports from the National Championship Musky Open where big muskies — and lots of them — were caught by tournament anglers. Steve reveals the best patterns.

It’s the week of the National Championship Musky Open in Eagle River, and Steve previews the tournament, explains why you should join, and discusses current fishing conditions, hot lures, and why he thinks big muskies will be caught.

Steve begins this week’s Musky Report with updates on water temperatures in northwoods lakes as well as the musky stocking issue. He then previews a number of upcoming musky events.

In this week’s Northwoods Musky Report, Steve discusses good news and bad news regarding current musky fishing action, water temperatures, and musky stocking plans being considered by the Wisconsin DNR.

Steve provides a double report in this episode. First, he discusses what happened during a recent trip to Lake of the Woods and then reports on a five-musky day that occurred when he returned to northern Wisconsin. Finally, he discusses current water temps and what they mean for northwoods muskies.

The 2024 musky season has featured rain almost every day and lots of wind, and Steve has heard from a number of anglers who are struggling. In this week's Northwoods Musky Report, he delivers a pep talk with ideas to help you bust your musky slump.

Steve opens this week's Northwoods Musky Report with an on-the-water discussion with his son after they boated five muskies while avoiding the crowds during the July 4th holiday week. While muskies were biting for Steve on wilderness lakes, he notes that bigger fish are showing up for anglers fishing open water.

This week, Steve discusses what led to a musky he caught and released at midday in poor conditions which proved to be the largest he's ever taken from that particular lake. He then discusses how lure choice should depend on from which position in a boat you're fishing.

Steve opens this week's report interviewing a client who caught his personal best musky on a Mepps custom-colored bucktail. Steve then reveals a few ways to catch more muskies on bucktails, and offers tips to better run the edges of weedbeds this season.

Steve begins this week interviewing a northwoods visitor who boated a nice topwater musky. He then offers a few tackle and retrieve tips to help you catch more muskies on surface baits.

In this week's report, Steve discusses what happened during the University of Esox Summer Musky Tactics school during which anglers from five states boated several nice muskies.

In this week's episode, Steve discusses where the best musky action is coming from and names the best-producing bait in his boat so far. He also explains how he fishes that bait.

Steve Heiting and his friends enjoyed a great Wisconsin northwoods musky opener with four fish in the boat. Steve discusses the distinct patterns they found and what else seems to really matter to the muskies so far in the 2024 season.